NEWS

In between cheers and rounds of applause Tuesday, Delaware County officially swore in five Democrats to seats in county government – including two county councilmen, and three new row officers, sheriff, register of wills and controller. In the process they became the first Democrats to hold elected county office since 1980.

On only his third week as a lifeguard at the Jennersville YMCA, several Avon Grove High School students, as well as an off-duty state trooper, helped to save the life of an elderly man. Late last November, a member of the YMCA suffered a cardiac incident while exercising there. When the code red announcement was made, the students jumped into action, grabbing the first aid pack and AED machine.

The empty windswept main parking lot of Marsh Creek State Park would seem to indicate no activity at the Chester County recreation spot until spring but with the recent cold snap, that is not the case. While there was still open water near the park headquarters, winter sports are in high gear on the lake. A variety of people were enjoying ice fishing and ice skating on the northern branch of the lake near Little Conestoga Road.

The recent cold spell has been a boon for one group in Delaware County and the Main Line – outdoor ice hockey players. With temperatures below freezing, area ponds are frozen over and that has brought skaters out to at least two township parks. The ponds at Fenimore Woods and the Willows were packed with hockey playing ice skaters over the long holiday weekend.

A water main broke in the first block of Balligomingo Road in West Conshohocken Tuesday morning causing service issues for thousands of Montgomery County residents. Homes in Lower Merion, Bryn Mawr, Conshohocken and parts of Glenside and Cheltenham Township experienced loss of water or low water pressure throughout most of the day.

Authorities are looking for suspects after spray-painted messages were discovered at Meng Sanctuary. According to officials at the Valley Forge Audubon Society, vandalism has been reported to police after it was discovered that unknown individuals spray painted large boulders located along one of the trails in Meng Sanctuary.

SPORTS

What looked like a bad four-goal loss Tuesday night to a still-superior Pittsburgh team that not that long ago was a close rival of the Flyers, didn’t appear to be that at all to coach Dave Hakstol. Hey, Hakstol may say, this 5-1 loss to the Penguins wasn’t half bad.

Doug Pederson fumbled the news conference Tuesday. After the happy New Year greeting, there were enough mixed messages about the quarterback position and who actually decides what at practices that you couldn’t help but realize how much clutter is in the head of the Eagles’ second-year coach. Take the quarterback position, where Nick Foles’ last two starts in place of injured star Carson Wentz were flawed enough that some fans are rooting for Nate Sudfeld, the backup who has played just two quarters and change in the NFL, to get a look.

ENTERTAINMENT

“Mr. Chocolate” is the latest album release from multi-talented singer, songwriter and Philadelphia native Scot Sax. Offering a six song collection riddled with pop tendencies, Sax headed into the studio with the sole intention of writing great songs with no pressure and no expectations. Featured on the album are Wilco-drummer Ken Coomer, Bob Dylan’s longtime live guitarist John Jackson and Phil D’Agostino.